12.9.25, 9:08 p.m
Hi! It’s been a while (Writing this > studying for finals per usual).
A ton of exciting things have been happening. Excited to share a podcast episode I did with my friend Akaash Prasad, one of my first friends I’ve met on Twitter.
A few things we talked about:
Life update: study abroad, startups, etc.
Working with Alex Lieberman, co-founder of Morning Brew
Blending art x entrepreneurship
World-building with music, films, and cities
Relationship with transcendence
I’ve been thinking a lot about this one question:
How do you create a life you actually want to live?
The answer can be deceiving – and it’s because of the word, “want.” There are several reasons why asking “what you want” isn’t particularly helpful:
It’s easily influenced by external noise
Wanting something often implies short-term gratification
Wants are often tied to fear or social expectations
Instead, I find the better question to ask is:
How do you create a life that aligns with your nature?
Nature is permanent. It’s a constant flow.
And our job, as individuals, is to tap into that flow. To live in harmony where your outer world is a direct reflection of your inner world. That’s where you come alive.
When you live aligned with your nature, all your greatest ambitions get ticked off one by one. It’s almost as if Adam Smith’s “invisible hand” is pushing you towards your destiny. The craziest part is – it feels inevitable and completely normal.
All you have to do is metaphorically sit back and watch your life story play out.
Thanksgiving 10k race
As a recent example, I witnessed this exact thing with running.
4 years ago, I ran for the first time in ages. We did a 1.25-mile loop around my high school, and by the end of it, I was completely gassed.
I gawked at the idea of cross country members running upwards of 10k in a single run.
To me, it felt superhuman.
Fast forward to the present day, I’m training for a self-hosted 50k, 31.1-mile ultramarathon in around a week. I’ve ran 16 half marathons, 16 weeks in a row, with 30-40 mile weeks since the middle of July.
But wildly enough, I don’t think I’m superhuman. It feels completely normal. To me, it’s just a way of life – because running is who I innately am.
There’s nothing special about it.
I think a lot about this tweet from Benjamin Parry.
He argues that talent boils down to daily micro-decisions and actions we make that culminate into what other people call “special.”
We think excellence, talent, and a dream life is far beyond our reach.
It’s not. It’s literally right there.
Alignment creates results that look like talent.
Tune into your nature.
Behind the scenes:
I’m wrapping up my time in LA (finally).
Dawn of a new adventure in ~2.5 weeks for my 2nd and final study abroad. Location reveal in the next (or 2 after) public journal.
“The Great China Adventure” is premiering in 2 weeks. Stay tuned!
Hot pot + mini Christmas musical at an outdoor shopping mall
